Multiple stage blowers and volutes therefor

ABSTRACT

A multiple stage variable speed blower for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) ventilation of patients includes two impellers in the gas flow path that cooperatively pressurize gas to desired pressure and flow characteristics. Thus, the multiple stage blower can provide faster pressure response and desired flow characteristics over a narrower range of motor speeds, resulting in greater reliability and less acoustic noise.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.10/864,869, filed Jun. 10, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,517,012, which iscontinuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/360,757, which wasfiled on Dec. 10, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,910,483, and is herebyincorporated in its entirety by reference. This application also claimsthe benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/477,063, filed Jun.10, 2003, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/477,358 filed Jun. 11,2003, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus for supplying breathablegas to a human, used in, for example, Continuous Positive AirwayPressure (CPAP) treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), otherrespiratory diseases and disorders such as emphysema, or the applicationof assisted ventilation.

2. Description of Related Art

CPAP treatment of OSA, a form of Noninvasive Positive PressureVentilation (NIPPY), involves the delivery of a pressurized breathablegas, usually air, to a patient's airways using a conduit and mask. Gaspressures employed for CPAP can range, e.g., from 4 cm H₂O to 28 cm H₂O,at flow rates of up to 180 L/min (measured at the mask), depending onpatient requirements. The pressurized gas acts as a pneumatic splint forthe patient's airway, preventing airway collapse, especially during theinspiratory phase of respiration.

Typically, the pressure at which a patient is ventilated during CPAP isvaried according to the phase of the patient's breathing cycle. Forexample, the ventilation apparatus may be pre-set, e.g., using controlalgorithms, to deliver two pressures, an inspiratory positive airwaypressure (IPAP) during the inspiration phase of the respiratory cycle,and an expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) during the expirationphase of the respiratory cycle. An ideal system for CPAP is able toswitch between IPAP and EPAP pressures quickly, efficiently, andquietly, while providing maximum pressure support to the patient duringthe early part of the inspiratory phase.

In a traditional CPAP system, the air supply to the patient ispressurized by a blower having a single impeller. The impeller isenclosed in a volute, or housing, in which the entering gas is trappedwhile pressurized by the spinning impeller. The pressurized gasgradually leaves the volute and travels to the patient's mask, e.g., viaan air delivery path typically including an air delivery tube.

There are currently two common ways in which the blower and impeller canbe configured to produce the two different pressures, IPAP and EPAP,that are required in an ideal CPAP system. A first method is to set themotor/impeller to produce a constant high pressure and then employ adiverter valve arrangement that modulates the high pressure to achievethe required IPAP and EPAP pressures. CPAP systems according to thefirst method are called single-speed bi-level systems with diverters. Asecond method is to accelerate the motor that drives the impeller todirectly produce IPAP and EPAP pressures. CPAP systems according to thesecond method are called variable-speed hi-level systems.

Variable-speed bi-level CPAP systems have a number of particulardisadvantages. A first disadvantage is that in order to switch rapidlybetween IPAP and EPAP, the impeller must be accelerated and deceleratedrapidly. This causes excessive stress on the impeller, motor, andbearings. However, if the impeller is accelerated slowly, the pressurerise may be unsatisfactorily slow, and thus, the patient may not receiveadequate treatment.

Rapid acceleration and deceleration of the motor and impeller alsoresult in excessive heat generation and undesirable acoustic noise.(“Undesirable” acoustic noise, as the term is used here, refers toacoustic noise that is overly loud, as well as acoustic noise whichoccurs at a frequency that is irritating to the user, regardless of itsvolume.) In addition, design engineers are often forced to make acompromise, sacrificing optimal pressure and flow characteristics infavor of achieving a desired peak pressure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, in one aspect, relates to variable speed blowersproviding faster pressure rise time with increased reliability and lessacoustic noise. Blowers according to an embodiment of the presentinvention comprise a gas flow path between a gas inlet and a gas outlet,a motor, and an impeller assembly.

Preferably, the impeller assembly may include a shaft in communicationwith the motor for rotational motion about a first axis and first andsecond impellers coupled, e.g., fixedly secured, to the shaft. Theimpellers are placed in fluid communication with one another by the gasflow path such that both impellers are disposed between the gas inletand the gas outlet to cooperatively pressurize gas flowing from the gasinlet to the gas outlet.

In one embodiment, the impellers are disposed in series between the gasinlet and the gas outlet. The blower may also comprise a housing,portions of the housing being disposed around each of the first andsecond impellers. In particular, the housing may include first andsecond volutes, the first volute containing gas flow around the firstimpeller and the second volute containing gas flow around the secondimpeller. The gas inlet may be located in the first volute and the gasoutlet may be located in the second volute.

The impellers may be arranged such that they are vertically spaced fromone another along the first axis. In particular, they may be disposed atopposite ends, respectively, of the blower housing.

A blower according to an embodiment of the present invention may havevarying configurations. In one embodiment, the two impellers aredesigned to rotate in the same direction. In another embodiment, the twoimpellers are designed to rotate in opposite directions.

Another aspect of the invention relates to an in-plane transitionalscroll volute for use in either a double- or single-ended blower. Thein-plane transitional scroll volute gradually directs pressurized airaway from a spinning impeller.

A further aspect of the invention involves a method and apparatus forminimizing blower-induced turbulence presented to a flow meter formeasuring the air flow. In one embodiment, the flow meter is positionedupstream from the blower.

In yet another aspect, a blower has a motor provided with opposed firstand second shafts. First and second stage impellers are provided to thefirst and second shafts, respectfully. An inner casing supports themotor and an outer casing supports the inner casing. In addition, asubstantially annular channel is provided between the inner and outercasings. In operation, gas is directed from the first stage impellertowards the second stage impeller via the substantially annular channel.

Additional aspects, advantages and features of the present invention areset forth in this specification, and in part will become apparent tothose skilled in the art on examination of the following, or may belearned by practice of the invention. The inventions disclosed in thisapplication are not limited to any particular set of or combination ofaspects, advantages and features. It is contemplated that variouscombinations of the stated aspects, advantages and features make up theinventions disclosed in this application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to thefollowing drawings, in which like reference characters represent likefeatures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a double-ended blower according to afirst embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially sectional perspective view of the double-endedblower of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded, perspective view of an in-plane transitionalscroll volute suitable for use in blowers according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a double-ended blower according to asecond embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4A is a rear perspective view of the double-ended blower of FIG. 4,illustrating the flow therethrough;

FIG. 5 is a sectional perspective view of the double-ended blower ofFIG. 4;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are a perspective view of an impeller having scallopededges;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a double-ended bloweraccording to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7A is a view of the press-fit connection between the motor and thecontoured plate in FIG. 7;

FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of thecircular plate in FIG. 7A;

FIG. 8 is an assembled perspective view of the double-ended blower ofFIG. 7 from one side;

FIG. 9 is an assembled perspective view of the double-ended blower ofFIG. 7 from another side;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a double-ended bloweraccording to a further embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11A is a side view of a first damping sleeve fitted into a casingof the blower represented in FIG. 10;

FIG. 11B is a side view of a second damping sleeve fitted into a casingof the blower represented in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the press-fit connection betweenstationary flow guidance vanes and the contoured plate in FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 represents an assembled view of the blower of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13A is a partial cross-sectional view of a blower according toanother aspect of the technology;

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of an enclosure for a bloweraccording to the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a further exploded perspective view of an enclosure for ablower according to the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a top perspective view of the enclosure of FIG. 14;

FIG. 17 represents an assembled view of the enclosure of FIG. 14;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a protrusion of a blower according tothe present invention provided with a rubber suspension bush;

FIG. 19 is a top perspective view of the main seal of the enclosure ofFIG. 14;

FIG. 19A is a detailed view taken from FIG. 19;

FIG. 20 is a top perspective view of the enclosure base of the enclosureof FIG. 14;

FIG. 21 is a bottom perspective view of the enclosure lid of theenclosure of FIG. 14;

FIGS. 22A and 22B are perspective views of the flow meter of theenclosure of FIG. 14;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the inlet connector of the enclosure ofFIG. 14; and

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a filter retainer for the enclosure ofFIG. 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a double-ended blower 100 according to afirst embodiment of the present invention. Blower 100 has a generallycylindrical shape with impeller housings, or volutes 112, 113, disposedat each end. Thus, blower 100 accommodates two impellers 114, 115, whichare best seen in the cutaway perspective view of FIG. 2.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the two impellers 114, 115 are placed influid communication with one another by an airpath 116. The airpath 116of blower 100 is comprised of piping that extends from the first volute112 to the second volute 113, the terminal ends of the airpath 116 beingcontoured around, and gradually fusing with, the body of blower 100proximate to the volutes 112, 113 to form a single, integral structure.The airpath 116 may be comprised of substantially rigid piping that is,e.g., integrally molded with the other components of the blower 100, orit may be separately provided and joined to the blower 100 at eachvolute 112, 113.

Blower 100 has a single air intake 118 positioned such that air, oranother suitable gas, flows directly into the first volute 112 and canbe drawn in by the turning impeller 114 inside the first volute 112.Once drawn into the air intake 118, the air is circulated andpressurized by the motion of the impeller 114 before gradually exitingthe volute 112 and entering the airpath 116. Once in the airpath 116,the air travels to the second volute 113, where it is further circulatedand pressurized by the impeller 115 of the second volute 113 beforeexiting the blower 100 through the outflow conduit 120. The path of theair in blower 100 is indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1. As shown, inblower 100, air from the first volute 112 travels along a relativelystraight section of the airpath 116 and enters the second volute 113through an intake cavity just above the second volute 113 (not shown inFIG. 1).

Blower 100 could have, e.g., two air intakes 118, one for each volute112, 113, if the impellers 114, 115 are designed to work in parallel,rather than in series. This type of parallel impeller arrangement may bebeneficial if installed in a low-pressure CPAP device requiring highflow rates.

The design of the airpath 116 can affect the overall performance of theblower 100. In general, several design considerations influence thedesign of an airpath for use in blowers according to the presentinvention. First, airpaths to be used in blowers according to oneembodiment of the present invention are most advantageously configuredto provide low flow resistance, because low flow resistance in theairpath minimizes the pressure drop between the two volutes 112, 113 inthe blower. Second, airpaths according to one embodiment of the presentinvention are best configured such that the air entering the secondvolute 113 enters from a direction for which the blades of the impeller115 were designed. (As will be described in more detail below, the twoimpellers of a blower according to the present invention may be designedto spin in the same or different directions.) Third, airpaths accordingto one embodiment of the present invention are most advantageously of acompact design.

The design considerations set forth above may be embodied in an airpathhaving long, sweeping bends to minimize the pressure drop around thebends. It is also beneficial to have a relatively straight section aftera bend in the airpath, because a relatively straight section after abend aids in allowing the gas flow to become more fully developed beforeentering a volute. An appropriate length for a straight airpath sectionfollowing a bend is, e.g., about three times the diameter of theairpath. The relatively straight section also aids in the flow enteringthe second volute 113 being axial, the flow orientation for which manyimpellers are designed. If additional flow shaping is desired, statorvanes or other similar flow directing structures may be added to theblower, however, stator vanes may be costly in terms of flow impedanceand pressure drops.

In view of the three major airpath design considerations set forthabove, the airpath 116 of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 has a long,relatively straight section because the relatively straight section isone of the shortest possible paths between the two volutes 112, 113.Those skilled in the art will realize that the airpath 116 need not bestraight at all.

Blowers according to the invention may be designed manually, usingprototypes and experimental measurements of air flows and pressures inthose prototypes to optimize the design of the airpath 116 and othercomponents. Alternatively, they may be designed, either as a whole or inpart, by using computational fluid dynamics computer simulationprograms. A variety of computational fluid dynamics programs are knownin the art. Computational fluid dynamics programs particularly suitedfor the design of blowers according to the invention include, e.g.,FLOWORKS (NIKA GmbH, Sottrum, Germany), ANSYS/FLOTRAN (Ansys, Inc.,Canonsburg, Pa., USA), and CFX (AEA Technology Engineering Software,Inc., El Dorado Hills, Calif., USA). Such simulation programs give theuser the ability to see the effects of airpath design changes on asimulated gas flow.

Many different types of configurations for the two volutes 112, 113 andairpath 116 are possible in a double-ended blower according to thepresent invention. In general, each volute is designed to retain the gasaround the impeller for a short period of time, and to permit a gradualexit of gas into the airpath. The exact configuration of the airpath maydepend on many factors, including the configuration of the volutes andthe “handedness,” or direction of airflow, around each impeller.

The design of the volutes is an art unto itself, as improperly designedvolutes may cause a noise, or may interfere with the generation of thedesired pressure and flow characteristics. The computational fluiddynamics computer programs described above may also be useful indesigning the volutes, although the number of variables involved involute design usually precludes the volute from being entirelycomputer-designed.

The type and direction of flow into each volute 112, 113 may influencethe performance and noise characteristics of the impellers 114, 115. Forthis reason, a bell-shaped intake, rounded intake edges, stator vanes,or other flow directing/enhancing structures may be used at the entranceto either or both of the volutes 112, 113. However, the use of thesetypes of flow enhancing/directing structure may increase the flowresistance.

One common problem with volutes 112, 113 is that they may provide tooabrupt of a transition into the airpath 116. An abrupt transitionbetween the volute 112, 113 and the airpath 116 usually leaves a forkedpath or “lip” around the opening. When the impeller blades pass by thislip, a noise called “blade passing frequency” is created. Double-endedblowers according to the present invention are particularly suited for,e.g., use with volutes that are constructed to reduce the occurrence of“blade passing frequency” and other noise. See FIG. 3, for instance,which is a perspective view of an in-plane transitional scroll volute300 suitable for use in a blower according to the present invention.Additionally, the volute 300 may be employed in any conventional blowerapparatus. In the view of FIG. 3, the volute 300 is provided with itsown motor 302, although it may be adapted for use in a double-endedblower having a single motor driving the impellers in two volutes. Asshown, the volute 300 is comprised of two halves 304, 306, the twohalves defining upper and lower portions of the volute 300,respectively. The air intake of the volute 308 is located at the centerof the top half 304. The two halves 304, 306 define a path which slowly“peels” away from the air rotating with the impeller. In the pathdefined by the two halves, there is no sudden “lip” or “split” as inconventional volutes, therefore, “blade passing frequency” is reduced oreliminated entirely.

Alternatively, any common type of volute may be used, depending on thedimensions of the motor installed in the blower. Another suitable typeof volute is the axial volute disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser.No. 09/600,738, filed on Jul. 21, 2000, the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

One design consideration for a double-ended blower according to thepresent invention is the “handedness,” or direction of airflow, aroundeach impeller. This “handedness” may be determined by the direction inwhich the impeller spins, or it may be determined by the orientation andconfiguration of the individual blades or vanes of the impeller. Forexample, one impeller may be spun or the blades oriented to drive theair in a clockwise direction, and the other impeller may be spun or theblades oriented to drive the air in a counterclockwise direction,resulting in a “opposing-handed” double-ended blower. Alternatively,both impellers could be driven in the same direction, resulting in a“same-handed” double-ended blower. Blower 100 of FIG. 1 is an example ofan “opposite-handed” type of double-ended blower.

A “same-handed” blower is advantageous because the two impellers can beidentical, reducing the part count and cost of the blower. However, itshould be noted that a designer may choose to design a “same-handed”blower in which the two impellers are each designed and optimizedseparately for the air flow in their respective volutes.

An “opposing-handed” blower permits the designer to reduce the length ofthe shaft on which the impellers are mounted. This may increase thestability of the shaft itself, because it reduces the problemsassociated with having an imbalance on a long, cantilevered shaftrotating at high speed.

FIGS. 4, 4A, and 5 illustrate a “same-handed” blower 200 according tothe present invention. Blower 200 also has two volutes 212, 213, anairpath 216, an air intake 118 and an air outlet 220. However, as isshown in FIGS. 4, 4A, the airpath 216 has the shape of a spiral. Thatis, airpath 216 transitions away from the first volute 212 and thenslopes downward as it follows the circumference of the blower 200,before bending and gradually fusing with an intake cavity locatedbetween the motor 150 and the arcuate flange 160 (See FIG. 5), whichacts as an air intake in blower 200. The airflow through the blower 200is illustrated by the arrows in FIGS. 4, 4A.

The internal configuration of blower 200 is shown in the partiallysectional perspective view of FIG. 5. The internal arrangements ofblowers 100 (FIGS. 1, 2) and 200 (FIGS. 4, 4A, 5) are substantiallysimilar, and will be described below with respect to components of bothblowers, where applicable. As shown in FIG. 5, a double-shafted electricmotor 150 is installed in the center of the blower 200. Although onlyone motor 150 is shown, two motors 150, one for each impeller, may beused. Various types of known brackets and mountings may be used tosupport the motor and to secure it to the interior of the blower 200,although for simplicity, these are not shown in FIG. 5.

The motor 150 drives the double shaft 152 to rotate at speeds up to,e.g., about 30,000 RPM, depending on the configuration of the impellers114, 115, 214 and the desired pressures. The shaft 152 traversessubstantially the entire length of the blower 100, 200 along its center,and is secured to an impeller 114, 115, 214 at each end. The shaft maybe round, square, keyed, or otherwise shaped to transmit power to thetwo impellers 114, 115, 214. The diameter of the shaft may be in theorder of, e.g., 3-5 mm, with graduations in diameter along the length ofthe shaft 152. For example, the shaft 152 may have a smaller diameter(e.g., 3 mm) on the end closest to the air intake to assist with airintake and a diameter of about 4.5 mm at the end that is cantilevered.The connection between the impellers 114, 115, 214 and the shaft 152 maybe created by an interference fit between the two parts, a weld, anadhesive, or fasteners, such as set screws. In blowers 100 and 200, theconnection between the shaft 152 and the impellers 114, 115, 214 is bymeans of a vertically oriented (i.e., oriented along the axis of theshaft 152) annular flange 154 formed in the center of the impellers 114,115, 214. In FIG. 5, the connection between the impeller 214 and theshaft is shown as an interference fit.

The impeller 114, 115, 214 is substantially annular in shape. The centersection 156 of the impeller 114, 115, 214, is a thin plate which extendsradially outward from the shaft 152 to the blades 158, and is upswept,gradually curving downward as it extends outward from the shaft 152towards the blades 158. The actual diameter of each impeller 114, 115,214 may be smaller than that of a conventional blower with a singleimpeller. Fast pressure rise time in a blower requires a low rotationalinertia, which varies as the diameter to the fourth power. Becauseimpellers 114 and 214 of blowers 100 and 200 are smaller in diameter,they have less rotational inertia, and thus, are able to provide afaster pressure rise time. In addition to diameter, other designparameters of the impellers 114, 214 may be modified to achieve a lowerrotational inertia. Other techniques to reduce rotational inertiainclude “scalloping” the shrouds to produce a “starfish-shaped”impeller, using an internal rotor motor, and using materials, such asliquid crystal polymer, that can be molded into thinner wall sections,so that impeller blades can be hollowed out and strengthened by ribs.The scalloping of the impellers may also advantageously result in aweight reduction of the impeller, therewith allowing faster rise times.See also FIGS. 6A and 6B (starfish shaped impeller 214 with aerofoilblades 258 and scalloped edges 259). Liquid crystal polymer impellerblades may have wall sections as low as 0.3 mm.

In embodiments of the invention, the impellers 114, 115, 214 wouldtypically have an outer diameter in the order of, e.g., 40-50 mm, forexample 42.5 mm or 45 mm. The inner diameter of the impellers 114, 115,214 may be in the order of, e.g., 18-25 mm. Blade height may be in therange of, e.g., 6-10 mm, although stresses on the impeller blades 158increases with taller blades. In general, if the blades 158 are taller,the diameter of the impeller may be reduced. The impeller blades 158themselves may be aerofoils of standard dimensions, such as the NACA6512, the NASA 66-221, and the NASA 66-010. If the blades 158 areaerofoils, it may be advantageous to select aerofoil profiles thatproduce good lift at a variety of angles of attack. The impellers 114,115, 214 are preferably designed and/or selected so that, in cooperationwith the motor, the blower 100, 200 can generate a pressure at the maskof about 25 cm H₂O at 180 L/min and about 30 cm H₂O at 150 L/min. Giventhat the airpath 116 will cause pressure drops from the blower 100, 200to the mask, the impellers 114, 115, 214 are preferably capable ofproducing about 46 cm H₂O at 150 L/min and about 43 cm H₂O at 180 L/min.

The top of the first volute 112, 212 is open, forming the air intake118. At the air intake 118, the top surface 120 of the blower 100, 200curves arcuately inward, forming a lip 122 over the top of the impeller114, 214. The upswept shape of the impeller center section 156 and thelip 122 of the top surface 120 confine the incoming air to the blowervolume inside the first volute 112, 212 and help to prevent air leakageduring operation. An arcuate flange 160 similar to the arcuate topsurface 120 extends from the lower interior surface of the blower 200,forming the top of the second volute 213. A contoured bottom plate 162,262 forms the bottom of the second volute 113, 213 of each blower 100,200. The bottom plate 162 of blower 100 has a hole in its center,allowing the airpath 116 to enter, while the bottom plate 262 of blower200 has no such hole. As described above, the arcuate flange 160 acts asthe air intake for the second volute 213 of blower 200. In blower 200,stator vanes and additional flow shaping components may be added to thecavity between the motor 150 and the arcuate flange 160 to assist indistributing the incoming air so that it enters the second volute 213from all sides, rather than preferentially from one side.

As is evident from FIGS. 1, 2, 4A, and 5, blowers according to thepresent invention may have many intricate and contoured surfaces. Suchcontours are used, as in the case of the arcuate top surface 120 andarcuate flange 160, to direct gas flow and prevent gas leakage. Theno-leak feature is particularly beneficial when the gas flowing throughthe blower 100, 200 has a high concentration of oxygen gas. Ifhigh-concentration oxygen is used, gas leakage may pose a safety hazard.Also, apart from any safety considerations, leaking gas may produceunwanted noise, and may reduce blower performance.

The number of intricate, contoured surfaces present in blowers inembodiments according to the present invention makes a production methodsuch as investment casting particularly suitable. Investment casting canproduce a single part with many hidden and re-entrant features, whereasother methods of production may require that a design be split into manyparts to achieve equivalent function. However, a large number of partsis generally undesirable—in order to minimize the potential for gasleaks, the number of parts is best kept to a minimum and the number ofjoints between parts is also best kept to a minimum.

There are also a number of materials considerations for blowersaccording to the present invention. Metals are typically used ininvestment casting, but some metals are particularly sensitive tooxidation, which is a concern because medical grade oxygen gas may beused in blowers according to the present invention. One particularlysuitable material for the blowers 100, 200 is aluminum. Whereas steelmay rust on exposure to high concentrations of oxygen, aluminum oxidizesquickly, the oxide forming an impervious seal over the metal. Whichevermetal or other material is used, it is generally advantageous that thematerial has a high thermal conductivity and is able to draw heat awayfrom the airpath, to prevent any heat-related ignition of oxygen.

While the use of aluminum has many advantages, it does have a tendencyto “ring,” or resonate, during blower operation. Therefore, dampingmaterials may be installed in an aluminum blower to reduce the intensityof the vibration of the aluminum components.

In blowers 100 and 200, the electric motor 150 may be driven at variablespeeds to achieve the desired IPAP and EPAP pressures. The double-ended(i.e., two-stage) design of the blowers means that the range of motorspeeds traversed to achieve the two pressures is reduced. The narrowerrange of motor speeds results in a faster pressure response time thanthat provided by a single-stage blower having similar motor power anddrive characteristics. In addition, the narrower variation in speedapplies less stress to the rotating system components, resulting inincreased reliability with less acoustic noise.

The performance of blowers 100 and 200 is approximately equal to thecombined performance of the two impeller/volute combinations, minus thepressure/flow curve of the airpath 116, 216 between the two volutes 112,113, 212, 213. For a variety of reasons that are well known in the art,the actual performance of the blowers 100, 200 will depend upon theinstantaneous flow rate of the particular blower 100, 200, as well as anumber of factors. At higher flow rates, the pressure drop in theairpath 116, 216 is generally more significant.

Double-ended blowers according to the present invention may be placed ina CPAP apparatus in the same manner as a conventional blower. The bloweris typically mounted on springs, or another shock-absorbing structure,to reduce vibrations.

A Further Embodiment

A further embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 7,an exploded perspective view of a double-ended blower 400 according tothe present invention. The motor and stator blade portion 402, locatedin the center of the exploded view, is investment cast from aluminum inthis embodiment, although other manufacturing methods are possible andwill be described below. The aluminum, as a good conductor of heat,facilitates the dissipation of heat generated by the accelerating anddecelerating motor. Each end 404A and 404B of the shaft 404 is shown inFIG. 7, but the motor windings, bearing and cover are not shown. Themotor power cord 406 protrudes from the motor and stator blade portion402. The motor and stator blade portion 402 includes, at its top, abottom portion of the upper volute 408.

As a variation of the design illustrated in FIG. 7, the motor and statorblade portion 402 may be made separately from the bottom portion of theupper volute 408. If the two components are made separately, investmentcasting would not be required. For example, the motor body may be diecast, while the bottom portion of the upper volute 408 may be injectionmolded.

Secured to the motor and stator blade portion 402 by bolts or otherfasteners is a circular plate 410, in which a hole 412 is provided forthe passage of the shaft 404. An impeller 414 rests atop the circularplate. The impeller 414 is scalloped along its circumference to reduceits rotational inertia, giving it a “starfish” look (see also FIGS. 6Aand 6B). As depicted in more detail in FIG. 7A, the contoured plate hasa side 411 that extends perpendicular to the annular surface 413. Inanother embodiment, schematically shown in FIG. 7B, the side 411Aextends more gradually from the annular surface. Having side 411A extendmore gradually facilitates, relative to the perpendicular side 411, theair flow created by impeller 414 and therewith aids in noisesuppression. Hole 412 is depicted in FIG. 7B as being of constantradius. In one embodiment, hole 412 may neck down or have a diameter ofnon-constant cross-section.

Referring back to FIG. 7, an upper endcap 416 is secured above theimpeller 414, and provides the top portion of the upper volute. Theupper and lower volutes in this embodiment are versions of the in-planetransitional scroll volute 300 illustrated in FIG. 3. An aperture 418 inthe center of the upper endcap 416 serves as the air intake of theblower 400.

On the lower end of the blower 400, a contoured plate 420 forms the topportion of the lower volute. As depicted in more detail in FIG. 7A, themotor and stator blade portion 402 may comprise feet 462 that can beconnected to contoured plate 420 via press-fit recesses 464. The motor402 and contoured plate may also be connected instead or in additionvia, e.g., adhesives, screws etc. or, alternatively, the motor 402 andcontoured plate 420 may be cast as a single piece.

The top of the contoured plate 420 is raised and curves arcuatelydownward toward a hole 422. As was explained above, the contoured plate420 helps to shape the airflow and to ensure that it enters the impellercavity from all sides, rather than preferentially from a singledirection. Beneath the contoured plate 420, a lower impeller 414 rotatesproximate to a lower endcap 428. The two endcaps, 416, 428 may be diecast (e.g., from aluminum or magnesium alloy) or they may be injectionmolded from an appropriate metal.

The outer sidewalls of the airpaths in the upper and lower volutes areessentially defined by the damping sleeves 438 and 440. The dampingsleeves are inserted into left side casing 424 and right side casing426. The left side casing 424 provides the air outlet 442 for the blower400. The left 424 and right 426 side casings are secured together with,e.g., bolts or other removable fasteners. On the top surface of the sidecasings 424, 426 are square flanges 430, 432 having protrusions 434, 436that allow the blower 400 to be mounted on springs inside a CPAPapparatus. In FIG. 7, the protrusions 434, 436 are shown as havingdifferent sizes and shapes, however, in FIGS. 8 and 9, the protrusions434 are shown as having the same shape. It will be realized that theprotrusions 434, 436 may take either of the depicted shapes, or anyother shape, depending on the properties and arrangement of the springsonto which the blower 400 is mounted.

In one embodiment, the damping sleeves 438, 440 are rubber or foamrubber components that are, e.g., injection molded to match the internalcontours of the left 424 and right 426 side casings, respectively. Inone implementation, the damping sleeves 438, 440 are 40 Shore A hardnesspolyurethane formed from a rapid prototype silicone mold. Alternatively,the damping sleeves 438, 440 could be silicone, or another elastomerthat is stable at the high temperatures generated by the motor. Thedamping sleeves 438, 440 serve three major purposes in blower 400: (i)they define (part of) the airpaths in the upper and lower volutes, (ii)they provide a seal between the other components, and (iii) they dampenthe vibrations of the other parts.

FIG. 8 is an assembled perspective view of blower 400 from one side. Theassembled air outlet 442 is shown in FIG. 8, as is the seam 444 betweenthe left 424 and right 426 side casings. As shown in FIG. 8, flanges446, 448 protrude laterally from the edge of each side casing 424, 426and abut to form the seam 444. As shown in FIG. 9, the two side casings424, 426 are secured together by bolts 452 that pass through the flange446 provided in the right side casing 426 and into threaded holesprovided in the flange 448 of the left side casing 424. Furthermore, thepower cord 406 exits the assembled blower through a sealed orifice 450(see FIG. 9)

Blower 400 has several advantages. First, investment casting is notrequired to produce blower 400, which reduces the cost of the blower.Additionally, because the components of blower 400 have fewer hidden andintricate parts, the castings can be inspected and cleaned easily.Finally, blower 400 is easier to assemble than the other embodimentsbecause the components are clamped together using the two side casings424, 426, which can be done with simple fasteners.

Another Embodiment

Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 10,an exploded perspective view of a double-ended blower 500 according tothe present invention. The motor 502, located in the center of theexploded view, is investment cast from aluminum in this embodiment,although other manufacturing methods are possible and will be describedbelow. The aluminum, as a good conductor of heat, facilitates thedissipation of heat generated by the accelerating and deceleratingmotor. Examples of suitable motors are described, for instance, in U.S.provisional application 60/452,756, filed Mar. 7, 2003, which is herebyincorporated in its entirety by reference. The shaft 504 has two ends(only one end 504B is shown in FIG. 10, but compare end 404A in FIG. 7)to which the impellers 514, 515 can be functionally connected. The motorpower cord 506 protrudes from the motor 502 and exits the blower 500through recess 550 (see also FIG. 11A) in damping sleeve 540. Dampingsleeve 538 comprises a substantially corresponding protrusion 552 (SeeFIG. 11B) to minimize or avoid airflow leaks and to reduce the risk ofpulling forces on the power cord being transferred to the powercord/motor connection. In one embodiment, shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B,protrusion 552 comprises ribs 554 that substantially interlock with ribs556 in recess 550 to further minimize airflow leaks. Also, in oneembodiment the wires in the motor power cord are silicon rubber coveredwires (allowing increased flexibility and noise suppression).

The motor 502 comprises stationary flow guidance vanes 560, which may beaerofoil shaped. The vanes 560 are capable of changing the direction ofthe airflow arriving at the vanes 560 through the spiral airpath definedby damping sleeves 538, 540 from tangential to radial, i.e. towards thehole 522. As depicted in more detail in FIG. 12, the motor 502 can beconnected to contoured plate 520 via press-fit recesses 564 in contouredplate 520 for some of the vanes 560. Other ways to connect motor 502 tocontoured plate 520 may also be used (e.g. screws or adhesives).

In one embodiment, the motor 502 includes, at its top, a portion 508 ofthe upper volute. As a variation of the design illustrated in FIG. 10,the motor 502 may be made separately from the portion 508 of the uppervolute. If the two components are made separately, the motor body may,for instance, be die cast, while the portion 508 of the upper volute maybe, for instance, injection molded.

Secured to the motor 502 by bolts or other fasteners is a circular plate510, in which a hole is provided (not shown, but compare hole 412 inFIG. 7) for the passage of the shaft 504.

The impellers 514, 515, connected to the ends of the shaft 504, arescalloped along their circumference to reduce rotational inertia, givingthem a “starfish” look.

An upper endcap 516 is secured above impeller 514, and provides the topportion of the upper volute. An aperture 518 in the center of the upperendcap 516 serves as the air intake of the blower 500.

On the lower end of the blower 500 in FIG. 10, a contoured plate 520forms the top portion of the lower volute. The bottom of the contouredplate 520 is curved arcuately upward toward a hole 522. Part of thebottom of contoured plate 520 is ribbed. Beneath the contoured plate520, an impeller 515 rotates proximate to a lower endcap 528, whichcomprises two protrusions 537. The two endcaps, 516, 528 may be die cast(e.g., from aluminum or magnesium alloy) or they may be injection moldedfrom an appropriate metal.

The side casing 524 defines air outlet 542 for the blower 500. The sidecasings 524 and 526 are secured together with bolts or other removablefasteners. On the top surface of the side casings 524, 526 areprotrusions 534, 536 that allow the blower 500 to be mounted on springsinside a CPAP apparatus. It will be realized that the protrusions 534,536 may take any shape depending on the properties and arrangement ofthe springs onto which the blower 500 is mounted.

The double-ended blower 500 includes two damping sleeves 538, 540. Thedamping sleeves 538, 540 are, e.g., rubber or foam rubber componentsthat are, e.g., injection molded to match the internal contours of theside casings 524, 526, respectively. In one implementation, the dampingsleeves 538, 540 are formed from a rapid prototype silicone mold.Alternatively, the damping sleeves 538, 540 may be, for instance,silicone or another elastomer that is stable at the temperaturesgenerated by the motor.

As is evident from FIGS. 10, 11A and 11B. the combination of dampingsleeves 538, 540 defines, along with the components (e.g. motor 502)positioned between the sleeves, a spiral airpath/conduit. The portion ofthe spiral conduit defined by damping sleeve 540 has a decreasingcross-sectional area in the direction of airflow.

FIG. 13 is an assembled perspective view of blower 500 (180° rotatedwith respect to FIG. 10).

In operation, blower 500 takes in air at aperture (external inlet) 518through rotation of impeller 514. The air is transported through thespiral conduit defined by damping sleeves 538, 540 to the stationaryflow guidance vanes 560, which substantially change the velocity vectorof the arriving air from primarily tangential to primarily radial, i.e.toward internal inlet 522. Rotation of impeller 515 then transports theair arriving through hole (internal inlet) 522 via a second airpath(defined primarily by the space between lower endcap 528 and contouredplate 520) to external air outlet 542.

FIG. 13A illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a blower 600according to another embodiment of the present invention. Blower 600includes a motor 602 having a pair of opposed shafts 604 and 606 thatconnect to respective first and second stage impellers 608 and 610,respectively. Motor 602 is supported by an inner casing 612 thatincludes an aperture 614 leading to the second stage impeller 610 toallow for passage of shaft 606. A lid 616 is provided to the first stageend of casing 612, and includes an aperture to accommodate passage ofshaft 604.

An outer casing 618 is provided to support inner casing 612 via one ormore support members 620, two of which are shown in FIG. 13A. The innerand outer casings 612, 618 are spaced from one another by a gap G, whichdefines a channel adapted for the passage of pressurized gas from thefirst stage to the second stage. The gap G is defined by a generallyannular chamber between adjacent side walls 636, 638 of the inner andouter casings. The channel is also formed between bottom walls 628, 630of the inner and outer casings.

In operation, gas, e.g., air, is directed through blower 600 asindicated by the arrows. In particular, gas is drawn in towards thefirst stage impeller 608 through an aperture 634 provided in cap 622.First stage impeller 608 forces the air radially outwards, such that theair follows a path along the inside domed surface 632 of the cap 622.Air then proceeds along the gap G provided between inner and outercasings 612, 618, passing along support members 620. Air moves radiallyinwardly between bottom walls 628, 620 and then proceeds throughaperture 614 towards second stage impeller 610. Second stage impellerforces the air radially outwards and into an inlet 624 of conduit 626,whereby the now pressurized gas is directed to outlet 628, for deliveryto a patient interface (e.g., mask) via an air delivery conduit (notshown).

FIGS. 14-17 show an embodiment wherein blower 500 is placed in anenclosure 700. The blower 500 is mounted in the enclosure on springs 702that are provided over all six protrusions 534, 536, and 537 (only thesprings provided over protrusions 537 are shown). The springs aid inreducing vibration and noise. In another embodiment, suspension bushes(e.g. rubber suspension bushes) are provided over the protrusionsinstead of springs 702 to reduce vibration and noise. An example of arubber suspension bush 703.1 provided over a protrusion 703 is shown inFIG. 18.

The enclosure 700 comprises a main seal 720. See also FIG. 19. Outlet722 of main seal 720 is connected to outlet 542 of blower 500 andsecurely fastened with a spring clip 724 (outlet 542 is shown in FIG.10). Main seal 720 is positioned between enclosure base 710 andenclosure lid 730, which are connected using screws 732. In oneembodiment, the enclosure base 710 and the enclosure lid 730 are made ofmetal, e.g. aluminum. For example, the enclosure base 710 and enclosurelid 730 are made form die cast aluminum. One of the advantages ofaluminum is its good corrosion/burn resistance, even in oxygen richenvironments. The aluminum has sufficient mass to resist movement andtherefore serves to attenuate noise generated by the working of theblower. However if the aluminum resonates and thereby generates aringing noise, that ringing noise can be attenuated/eliminated by theuse of the main seal 720, e.g., a silicone gasket. Seal 720 also workswell with the enclosure's aluminum casing sections to achieve thedesired leak free seal. In this embodiment only three holding points(which use screws) are required to apply the force necessary to achievethe leak free joining of the seal between the two aluminum-casingsections.

In one embodiment, the main seal 720 is made from rubber, e.g. siliconerubber. A main seal construed from rubber may aid in reducing noise thatcan be created by vibrations of enclosure base 710 and enclosure lid730. Main seal 720 allows for a plurality of blower wires 720.1 to passtherethrough. For example, seal includes a plurality of fingers 720.2that are resiliently flexible, as shown in FIG. 19A. Adjacent pairs offingers 720.2 define an aperture, e.g., a round hole, to accommodate thecross-sectional shape of wires 720.1. Main seal 720 also includes arelatively thinner and/or more flexible portion 720.3 to facilitatealignment and coupling with blower outlet. In the illustratedembodiment, the seal gasket includes apertures for allowing the passageof the eight wires that form the blower motor power and control leads.The typically bunched wires would not readily lend themselves tocooperating with a compression silicon gasket in order to achieve thedesired sealing. The emergence point of the wires from the enclosure isdesigned so as not to compromise the enclosure's seal. In thisembodiment eight apertures are formed in the seal gasket, each oneintended to receive one of the motor wires. Each aperture is in the formof a circular orifice intersected with a ‘V’ split leading up to the topof the silicone gasket. The ‘V’ split facilitates the easy locating ofthe wire into the circular orifice. On assembly of the enclosure, eachwire is located in its allocated circular orifice, and the seal ispositioned between the two aluminum-casing sections. The force imposedwhen the screws as tightened cause silicone to fill the space of eachcircular orifice and around each wire and thereby achieve the seal.

In addition, the main seal 720 aids in minimizing leaks. See also FIG.20 for an individual representation of the enclosure base 710 and FIG.21 for an individual representation of enclosure lid 730. As shown inFIG. 20, base 710 includes a blower chamber 710.1 and a muffling chamber710.2. Base 710 includes a secondary expansion or muffling chamber 710.2to muffle noise as pressurized gas passes through straight section 722.1out of outlet 722. Lid 730 includes a channel forming member 730.1 whichallows incoming air to travel from muffling chamber 710.1 to blowerchamber 710.2. See the directional arrows in FIGS. 15 and 16.

The resulting structure is an enclosure that is completely sealed i.e.,has only known, characterized air paths. By contrast, uncharacterizedair paths or leaks have undesirable consequences:

A. Inappropriate flow generator performance due to the processing of anyinaccurate flow signal. Inappropriate flow generator performance maycompromise patient treatment. The control circuit corrects the filteredflow signal to estimate the flow at identified points of the breathingcircuit, e.g., at the blower outlet or at the patient interface. Thecorrected flow signal is used by the treatment algorithm or by othersystems such as a flow generator, a fault diagnosis system, etc., andthe control circuit responds accordingly. An example of a flow generatorfault diagnosis system that can use a corrected flow signal embodiedwithin blowers commercially available from ResMed. The control circuit'sperformance is dependent upon the flow sensor providing a signal thatmaintains a known relationship with the downstream flow. The knownrelationship will not be applicable; or will be less accurate, where theenclosure seal is compromised. Accordingly the corrected flow signalwill not be accurate where the enclosure leak is unpredictable inoccurrence, in magnitude or otherwise not recognizable as beinginaccurate by the control circuit. Therefore to maximize performance ofsystem that places the flow sensor upstream of the blower it ispreferable to eliminate the opportunity for the occurrence of unintendedleaks in the flow generator.

B. A sealed enclosure will prevent contamination of the breathable gasflowing through the enclosure.

C. A sealed enclosure will prevent the breathable gas escaping from theair path. This is a particularly desirable when oxygen or othertreatment gas is added to the flow through the flow generator.

D. A sealed enclosure will maximize the effect of the enclosure's noiseattenuating characteristics.

The silicone pathway connected to the blower outlet is preferably moldedin one piece with the seal. This configuration means that there is noneed for the sealing gasket to assume the shape and degree of precisionthat would otherwise be required to property fit around an enclosedrigid outlet pipe or to achieve a seal should the rigid outlet pipe beformed of two or more separable parts.

A flow meter 740 is sealingly connected to main seal 720. See also FIGS.22A and 22B for an individual representation of a flow meter. In oneembodiment, the flow meter is designed to measure air flows in the rangeof 0-200 LPM, and preferably in the range of 150-180 LPM. In a furtherembodiment, the flow meter is designed to be safe for even 100% oxygenflows. As evident from FIGS. 14-17, the flow meter may be positionedupstream from the blower inlet. Positioning the flow meter upstreaminstead of downstream can be helpful in improving the accuracy of airflow measurement as it reduces/minimizes blower-induced turbulence inthe air presented to the flow meter. This, in turn, provides an improvedsignal to the control algorithm, which signal does not require complexfiltering of turbulence or noise to provide a useful signal.

An inlet connector 750 is sealingly connected to flow meter 740. Theinlet connector ensures that the air intake is supplied from outside theflow generator. See also FIG. 23 for an individual representation of theinlet connector. In one embodiment, the inlet connector is made fromplastic and/or rubber, e.g. silicone rubber. The inlet connector 750provides location for filter retainer 755. See FIG. 24. The filterretainer 755 can be sealingly inserted in the opening 752 of the inletconnector 750 and serves to receive a filter. For example, filterretainer includes a flange 755.1 that is received within a groove 750.1of the inlet connector 750, upon assembly. In accordance with thedepicted embodiment, the filter retainer 755 may be construedasymmetrically to conveniently and safely give a user only one correctway of placing the filter. Furthermore, the filter retainer 755 preventsthe inlet connector 750 from sagging. Filter retainer 755 also includesone or more cross bars 755.2 that prevent the filter from being suckedinto the inlet connector 750. Filter retainer 755 also includes a pairof receiving apertures 755.3 to receive an inlet cap with resilientarms.

Also, the inlet connector 750 provides a barrier for water being able toreach the blower. First, in combination with the filter retainer 755 andfilter cover (not shown) it forms a water barrier at the entry of theenclosure. Second, with the enclosure being positioned horizontal, theupward slope 753 of the inlet connector (See FIG. 17) provides anobstacle for water being spilled into the inlet connector 750 to travelfurther into the system.

Further, inlet connector 750 provides a relatively linear flow of air toflow meter 740, which helps decrease turbulence and the creation of“noise” that would otherwise need to be filtered before providing auseful signal to the control algorithm. Moreover, there is no need tomaintain a linear path downstream of the flow meter 740, which opensfurther design options.

The illustrated embodiments utilize this freedom of configuration byplacing the flow sensor generally parallel with blower. Thisconfiguration reduces the overall length of the flow generator as itallows for the desired linear (i.e., turbulence minimizing) pathwaybetween the flow generator air-from-atmosphere inlet and the flow sensorinlet while eliminating the length adding placement of the flow sensorand connecting turbulence-reducing linear pathway at the blower outlet.This configuration has the air travel around a corner (i.e., a typicallyturbulence inducing maneuver) into muffler chamber which is situatedforward of the blower chamber. From there the air enters the blowerchamber and then enters the blower inlet. The turbulent air emergingfrom the blower outlet travels a short distance through a siliconepathway to the flow generator outlet. The linear component connectingthe flow generator air-from-atmosphere inlet to the flow sensor inletmay be conveniently located in any position relative to the blowerbecause of the irrelevance of avoiding the development of turbulenceafter the flow sensor outlet. Furthermore there is avoided the need toperform flow signal filtering to eliminate the remnant blower-inducedturbulence.

Each of the described embodiments provides for a modular constructionhaving relatively few, self-aligning components that may be readilyassembled and disassembled for maintenance. The inner sides of thealuminum-casing sections include locating feature buckets to facilitatethe positioning and retention of internal components such as the blowersuspension springs, or alternatively, substitute silicone suspensionbushes.

Another feature relates to a safety measure. If motor bearing wearreaches a predetermined limit, the consequent shaft movement willposition a shaft mounted blade so as to cut something on or protrudingfrom the motor internal circuit board and thereby cause the motor tostop (say due to a loss of power). The amount of shaft movement requiredto give effect to this would be something less than the amount ofmovement required to have the shaft mounted impeller make contact withthe volute wall. In this way the system stops before impeller/volutewall scraping or collision would lead to denegation of either or bothcomponents and cause particles to contaminate the air path or frictionthat would cause ignition to occur—especially in an oxygen richenvironment (i.e., where oxygen is being added to the breathing gas).

While the invention has been described by way of example embodiments, itis understood that the words which have been used herein are words ofdescription, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be madewithout departing from the scope and spirit of the invention in itsbroader aspects. Although the invention has been described herein withreference to particular embodiments, it is understood that the inventionis not limited to the particulars disclosed. The invention extends toall appropriate equivalent structures, uses and mechanisms.

What is claimed is:
 1. An enclosure for a blower configured to generatea positive pressure flow of gas, the enclosure comprising: a basedefining a plurality of chambers; a lid that engages the base to enclosethe plurality of chambers; and a seal sandwiched between the base andthe lid so that the enclosure defines a substantially closed air path,the seal defining an outlet conduit adapted to direct pressurized gasout of the enclosure.
 2. An enclosure according to claim 1, wherein theplurality of chambers comprise a blower chamber adapted to receive theblower and a muffling chamber positioned upstream of the blower chamber.3. An enclosure according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of chambersare divided by an interior wall, a lower portion of the wall beingdefined by the base and an upper portion of the wall being defined bythe seal.
 4. An enclosure according to claim 3, wherein the seal definesan inlet adapted to receive an outlet of a flow meter.
 5. An enclosureaccording to claim 4, wherein a portion of the seal comprises a gasket.6. An enclosure according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of theoutlet conduit is formed integrally with the seal.
 7. An enclosureaccording to claim 1, wherein the outlet conduit is removable from thebase with the seal.
 8. An enclosure according to claim 1, wherein theseal, the base and the lid together form the substantially closed airpath.
 9. An enclosure according to claim 1, wherein at least a portionof the outlet conduit is an extension of the seal.
 10. A blower assemblycomprising: a blower configured to generate a positive pressure flow ofgas; the enclosure of claim 2; and a flow meter positioned upstream ofthe muffling chamber, wherein the seal defines an inlet adapted toreceive an outlet of a flow meter.
 11. A blower assembly according toclaim 10, wherein the muffling chamber is connected to a flow meteroutlet via the inlet defined by the seal.
 12. A blower assemblyaccording to claim 11, further comprising an inlet connector that is incommunication with atmospheric air and is connected to an inlet side ofthe flow meter.
 13. A blower assembly according to claim 12, wherein theinlet connector defines a substantially linear path from atmosphere tothe flow meter.
 14. An enclosure for a blower configured to generate apositive pressure flow of gas, the enclosure comprising: a base with aninterior wall dividing an interior space of the enclosure into a firstchamber and a second chamber; a lid that engages the base to enclose theinterior space; and a seal sandwiched between the base and the lid so asto define a substantially closed air path, the seal including aninterior wall sandwiched between the lid and the interior wall of thebase, wherein the seal defines an air path inlet into the enclosure anddefines an air path outlet out of the enclosure.
 15. An enclosureaccording to claim 14, wherein a first portion of the seal is a gasketand a second portion of the seal defines an outlet conduit adapted todirect pressurized gas out of the enclosure.
 16. An enclosure accordingto claim 15, wherein the gasket portion of the seal comprises aplurality of apertures configured to receive wiring from the blower, theapertures extending from the interior space of the enclosure to anexterior of the enclosure.
 17. A blower assembly comprising: a blowerconfigured to generate a positive pressure flow of gas; the enclosure ofclaim 14; a flow meter positioned upstream of the enclosure; and aninlet connector upstream of the flow meter and in communication with agas source.
 18. A blower assembly according to claim 17, wherein theinlet connector defines a substantially linear air path that flows in adirection substantially parallel to a side of the enclosure base closestto the inlet connector.
 19. A blower assembly according to claim 18,wherein the inlet connector is oriented to slope downward toward theflow meter when the blower assembly is in an upright operating position.20. A blower assembly according to claim 16, wherein the inlet connectorcomprises a filter retainer configured to retain a filter cover thatforms a water barrier at an entry of the inlet connector.
 21. Anenclosure for a blower configured to generate a positive pressure flowof gas, the enclosure comprising: a base; a lid that engages the base toenclose an interior space that is divided into a blower chamber and amuffling chamber; and a seal sandwiched between the base and the lid soas to define a substantially closed air path, wherein the sealcooperates with the base and the lid to define the blower chamber andthe muffling chamber, and wherein the seal defines an enclosure inletand an enclosure outlet.
 22. An enclosure according to claim 21, whereinthe blower chamber is adapted to receive the blower and the mufflingchamber is adapted to dampen vibration caused by turbulence upstream ofthe blower chamber.
 23. An enclosure according to claim 22, wherein afirst portion of the seal comprises a gasket sandwiched between edges ofthe lid and the base, and a second portion of the seal comprises anoutlet conduit adapted to be connected to an outlet of the blower anddirect pressurized gas from the blower out of the enclosure.
 24. Ablower assembly comprising: a blower configured to generate a positivepressure flow of gas; the enclosure of claim 21; a flow meter positionedupstream of the enclosure; and an inlet connector upstream of the flowmeter and in communication with a gas source.
 25. A blower assemblyaccording to claim 24, wherein a first airflow path upstream of the flowmeter is substantially linear and a second airflow path downstream ofthe flow meter is non-linear.
 26. A blower assembly according to claim25, wherein the blower engages the base and the lid of the enclosurethrough vibration dampening members.
 27. A blower assembly according toclaim 26, wherein the vibration dampening members are springs.
 28. Ablower assembly according to claim 26, wherein the vibration dampeningmembers are suspension bushes.